Just like regular music, only free.

mothercoat are in many ways the kind of band most foreigners associate with Japan: fiercely independent and charmingly quirky - everything you expect from Japan's famous alternative music scene. And so its a bitter pill to swallow that in spite of this (though I'm beginning to think more because of it) they remain a fixture of the underground - and in the cavernous world of the live house, almost literally so. With uncharacteristic good timing on my part, when I contact Toki (the band's bass player) to arrange a time to meet, she's in the midst of preparing for a special acoustic gig, to which she extends me an invitation.

For the uninitiated, mothercoat are a Tokyo based band, notable for their excellent live performances, a live-in sound engineer, a genre-hopping back catalogue and a lead singer with a fantastic (and sometimes unsettling) nasal-purr of a voice. The line up is Makoto on guitar, Toki on bass, Giga on vocals and alternative 'noises', Junpei on sound engineer duties and new boy Hajime on drums. The music is in equal turns beat driven and melodic, raw and sensitive, features blazing guitar lines and spine chilling vocals. There's something a little unworldly about this lot, and the slightly unusual venue for the evening's gig seems entirely apt.

And so this is where this article begins: in a temple, buried in the shadows of the Tokyo Tower on a beautiful Spring evening. Cherry Blossoms glow eerily in the sunset, and later, the moonlight. The Tower's flashing lights pulsate and nearby apartments emit a gentle whir of air-conditioning. People sit sipping hot wine on the decking overlooking the temple's graves, adorned with last weeks' flower offerings. Here, the crowd sit with patient yet animated enthusiasm and monks move about, some in traditional dress, some in relaxed garb, distinguishable only by their shorn heads. Inside the temple a visual artist is setting up a light display - the light it emits offsets the wooden beams and shrine, and the statue of Buddha glows green, strangely ethereal, in the changing illuminations.

This is the setting for one of the most enthralling gigs I've had the pleasure to watch. So much has been made of Japan's contrasts: old and new, cutting edge and staunchly traditional, high rise and hilly, kimono and couture, and however tired this adage may be, part of this event's charm is this very idea: a temple hosting three very independent Japanese bands. Perhaps, like me, people feel a slightly altered state - something as cultural as music in somewhere as spiritual as a temple somehow changes the experience. For me, it seems akin to sneaking in my copy of Are you there God? Its me, Margaret into mandatory (and therefore excruciating) elementary school church services; naughty, but thrilling. mothercoat tell me later that, despite their agnosticism, they felt differently about the gig as well.

Toki explains a little more. Two years ago mothercoat invited a monk to give a blessing at one of their gigs. When I ask why, she tells me that its because they go out of their way to make the audience feel unsettled, even uncomfortable. mothercoat understand only too well that, in a time where the financial backing of the musical monolith seems the only surefire way to success, their creativity has been their biggest asset. "Its why Giga sings like that," she explains. "He pushes the boundaries of what people expect a singer to sound like." She acknowledges that maybe some people don't like it, but the point is that its different and surprising. And anyway, what's more surprising than a monk giving a blessing at an alternative music event? Perhaps a female monk giving a blessing in the midst of a gig inside a temple? I look at my program for the evening. Done and done.

Bands in Japan, like anywhere, rely on the generous hand of promotion companies to get radio and media exposure that in turn bring commercial success. For any independent "underground" band, the state of the music scene in Japan is clearly a subject of frustration, as it is to Toki. She tells me that while she thinks its getting better, there's still a definite sense of a battle between the commercial and the artistic, with no prizes for guessing the victor. Such is the trend of 'celebrity' that it is the image that is prioritized and pushed over the actual content of the CD box. Promoters with their business hats on see the financial rewards of promoting what Toki terms "idols" and the others are left with little more than their drive to push them forward, while the latest boybands and gyrating divas are plastered on every billboard clasping mobile phones and soft drinks. "In Britain", she tells me, "the Indie scene is (in a strange way) more mainstream. Its more legitimate." I ponder this observation. Yes, the radio stations rarely play things from outside of the top 40, but while the record companies pump money into the next "Idol", the music press do often champion the underdog. If you were to take a look at the recipients of awards such as the prestigious Britain based Mercury Prize, which recognizes the best album of the year, you'd find that the shortlists and winners have neither cellphone endorsements nor matching outifts. As I talk to Toki I understand that this kind of musical pluralism is not a common experience in Japan; life on the fringe here is a battle to get recognition in the face of a fickle press core.

Britain was lucky enough to have the late, great DJ John Peel to champion to weird, wonderful and alternative, but other places seem less fortunate. Though certainly no comparison, the internet has become the musician's trusty steed. It is really heartening to search YouTube for a band like Mothercoat and find comments and notes of support from all corners of the globe. It is the 21st century's word of mouth, and luckily this 'mouth' can reach many, many more than even Celion Dion at her most ear-shatteringly invasive could hope to. "Did you see the melonpan song?" Toki asks me. I have to admit that if its not the one featuring Anpanman's cute little chum, then no. Turns out that this isn't far from the truth. Last year, the internet was buzzing from a video posted of an elementary school girl who had made a song about the popular crunchy bread. Through no press whatsoever, this became one of the most hit upon videos on the web, which goes to show just how powerful Celine's nemesis can be. Thank god for alternatives, eh?

I wanted to know if the experience of playing at the South By Southwest music festival in Texas last year changed mothercoat's perspective of the music industry in Japan. They were surprised at the poor quality of equipment in the practice rooms and even more surprised to find that it was because bands tend to own their own kit. And here's the rub: for all the technical support, high spec equipment and space that Japan's practice rooms provide for the aspiring musician, it lacks the platform from which these bands can launch themselves to the hungry public. Toki tells me that the biggest eye-opener was that the set up of live events Stateside was much more receptive to hooking in passers by. "We'd play in the back room of a bar and people would come in because the sound was interesting". In the insular (although prolific) world of the Japanese live house, this foot traffic is an altogether absent phenomenon and it always seems miraculous when the audience stays longer than the friends' band they came to see. The running order of this gig was only posted at the venue shortly before curtain up. People stayed the whole night.

Later, as I make my way across Tokyo plugged into my iPod, it occurs to me that this experience really has been up there with some of the most memorable from all my time in Japan. Music is supposed to be enriching, and listening to how successfully mothercoat's live set was adapted from their studio album really makes me appreciate how driven and adept they are at entertaining their audience. Tokyo never looked better than with mothercoat as my soundtrack. It is obvious that this is a band with a great lot of soul and a whole lotta bottle. Seek and you will find, so check out our links, put their tour dates in your diary and see them when you can.

Yen, their eagerly awaited single is out April 26th.

Spreading the word means telling your friends, so I asked mothercoat what's on their iPod (proverbial or otherwise) or what they'd recommend to the good readers at TADA.

Toki laughs as she asks Makoto this - apparently, despite being the most music-smart of the bunch, he doesn't listen to much of anything besides mothercoat these days. We'll let it slide as he's been busy honing his craft: his recommendation is mothercoat's latest offering "Yen".

Jumpei's recommendations are anything from Soft and Boredoms .

Toki agrees with this and also adds Fairground Attraction , Bjork , Battles and Massive Attack as favorite artists.

Giga is a Dylan fan, though apparently more for attitude and general demeanor than for any specific music.

Hajime, who had to be woken from a peaceful slumber under an oversized hat answered without a moment's hesitation "Bronbaba" and then promptly fell asleep again.

See them next - and we recommend you do - at:

May 2nd, Rock and Rock, Nagoya
May 14th, Club Quattro, Tokyo. Its their own event called Tensai Jitai (genius)

http://www.mothercoat.com/

http://monstar.fm/mothercoat/

"Story" Video